STORM CLOUDS

DURING THE TIME WE WERE AWAITING THE MORTAGE ON OUR NEW LITTLE HOUSE, WE CONTINUED TO STAY AT MARTIN'S PARENTS. ONE DAY, LOLA SAID THAT SHE WAS FEELING ILL, AND TOOK TO HER BED. SHE COMPLAINED OF A SEVERE HEADACHE, AND WAS IN A LOT OF PAIN. SHE HAD A HIGH FEVER TOO, AND I SIMPLY THOUGHT THAT SHE HAD A FLU. I TOOK CARE OF HER AND MY BABIES AS BEST I COULD. ABOUT TWO DAYS AFTER SHE BEGAN TO FEEL ILL, BOBBIE JO BEGAN TO FRET AND CRY FOR NO REASON. (SHE WAS 10 WEEKS OLD). I HELD HER AND DID WHAT IS COULD, BUT NOTHING HELPED. AFTER A FEW HOURS, I NOTICED WHEN I PICKED HER UP THAT SHE WAS BURNING WITH FEVER. SHE BEGAN TO BE LISTLESS, BUT STILL WAS QUITE FRETFUL. WE HAD NO INSURANCE AT THIS TIME, SO I DECIDED TO TAKE HER TO THE COUNTY HOSPITAL FOR A CHECK-UP. BY THE TIME WE GOT TO THE HOSPITAL, AND WAITED TO BE SEEN, SHE FELL INTO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A DEEP SLEEP. WHEN THE DOCTOR FINALLY SAW HER, HER TEMPERATURE WAS 104 DEGREES, AND SHE HAD BROKEN OUT INTO A RASH. I THOUGHT PERHAPS IT WAS MEASLES. THE DOCTOR IMMEDIATLY ORDERED A SPINAL TAP-AND HIS FEARS WERE CONFIRMED. SHE HAD SPINAL MENENGITIS. SHE WAS NOT JUST SLEEPING, SHE WAS ALMOST UNCONCIOUS. I BEGAN TO PANIC, AND HE SAID THAT THEY WOULD ADMIT HER IMMEDIATLEY. BY THE END OF THE DAY, SHE WAS ADMITTED AND FAILING FAST. THEY TOLD US SHE WAS JUST TO YOUNG TO HAVE A GOOD CHANCE AT SURVIVAL. EVEN IF SHE DID, SHE WOULD HAVE A GREAT CHANCE OF PERMANENT PHYSICAL OR MENTAL DISABILITIES. I DIDN'T CARE ABOUT THAT, I BEGAN TO PRAY AND BEG HEAVENLY FATHER FOR MY CHILD'S LIFE. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT SO LONG FOR A BABY, JUST TO HAVE HER TAKEN RIGHT AWAY FROM US. I WOULDN'T LEAVE HER. THE NURSES TOLD ME TO GO HOME, VISITING HOURS WERE OVER, AND I TOLD THEM I WASN'T VISITING HER, I WAS HER MAMA, AND I WASN'T LEAVING HER! I GUESS THEY TOOK ME SERIOUSLY, NO MORE MENTION WAS MADE OF MY GOING ANYWHERE. MARTIN STAYED WITH ME AS THE NIGHT PASSED, AND SHE CONTINUED TO WORSEN. HER FEVER ROSE TO OVER 105 DEGREES. "NO, NO, NO! PLEASE DON'T TAKE HER" I BEGGED. ALL I COULD DO WAS STAY ON MY KNEES AND PRAY NEXT TO HER LITTLE BED. THEN, FINALLY, I REALIZED THAT I SHOULD PUT THIS ALL IN HEAVENLY FATHER'S HANDS. MY PRAYERS WERE THAT HE WOULD LEAVE HER WITH US, , BUT IF SHE HAD TO GO, THEN AT LEAST LET ME KNOW WHAT SHE WOULD HAVE BECOME. GIVE ME SOME KIND OF IDEA WHAT SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE IF I DID NOT GET TO RAISE HER. THEN, I WAS STRUCK WITH A THOUGHT- "GET HER A BLESSING". OF COURSE! I HAD NOT THOUGHT OF THAT. I QUICKLY CALLED A CHURCH MEMBER AND TOLD THEM OF THE SITUATION. WITHIN THE HOUR, THE PRIESTHOOD WAS THERE. I WAS DESPERATE. I TRIED TO CALM MYSELF WHILE THE TWO ELDERS POURED A DROP OF OIL ON HER LITTLE HEAD, AND PREPARED TO BLESS HER. I WAS SHAKING, BUT TRIED TO KEEP MY MIND CLEAR. THEY PLACED TENDER HANDS UPON HER TINY BLONDE HEAD. THEY ANNOINTED HER WITH OIL FOR HEALING THE SICK. AND THEN, ONE OF THE ELDERS BEGAN TO BLESS HER. HER BLESSED HER THAT SHE WOULD IMMEDIATLY GET WELL FROM THIS INFIRMITY. AS THE WORDS LEFT HIS MOUTH, A HOT WIND SWIRLED THROUGH THE ROOM. I WAS SURPRISED-BUT I CONTINUED TO LISTEN TO THE BLESSING. I CAN'T REMEMBER THE REST OF THE BLESSING BECAUSE I WAS STRUCK WITH A SUDDEN THOUGHT. THE ILLNESS LEFT HER LITTLE BODY WITH THE SWIRLING HOT WIND! I KNEW SHE WAS GOING TO BE OKAY. UPON HEARING THE "AMEN" OF THE PRAYER, I SAID, "TAKE HER TEMPERATURE!" WE HAD ONE IN THE ROOM, AND MARTIN USED IT TO TAKE HER TEMPERATURE, AND, TO OUR JOY AND RELIEF, IT WAS ONLY 99 DEGREES! HER LITTLE BLUE EYES OPENED AND SHE LOOKED AT ME. FOR A MOMENT, I COULD SEE INTO HER SOUL, AND I REALIZED THAT INDEED HEAVENLY FATHER HAD SPARED HER LIFE AND SHE WOULD GROW TO ADULTHOOD AND BE A BLESSING TO OUR FAMILY. IT WAS A MOMENT THAT I WILL NEVER FORGET, EVEN NOW, WRITING ABOUT IT STIRS THE FEELINGS I FELT AT THAT MOMENT. BOBBIE JO AND I HAD SOME REALLY DIFFICULT TIMES, BUT WE ALWAYS LOVED EACH OTHER SO MUCH. SHE HAD SUCH PASSION FOR ANYTHING SHE BELIEVED IN, AND SO MANY PEOPLE WERE BLESSED BY HER GIVING SPIRIT. SHE WAS BITTER ABOUT SOME DISSAPOINTMENTS IN LIFE, AND I AM GLAD THAT SHE COULD LEAN ON HER DAD AND I WITH HER ANGER. LOOKING BACK AT THAT MOMENT WHEN HER LIFE WAS SPARED, I COULD NOT HAVE KNOWN WHAT THE FUTURE WOULD BRING FOR HER, BUT THANKS TO HEAVENLY FATHER, WE HAD A FUTURE WITH HER. WE TOOK HER HOME THE NEXT DAY, AND THEN AFTER GETTING HOME, I REALIZED THAT LOLA DID NOT HAVE THE FLU, BUT MUST HAVE HAD MENENGITIS AS WELL. SHE WAS STILL VERY ILL, BUT WITH TIME, SHE TOO, RECOVERED. WE WERE SO BLESSED TO HAVE OUR BABY STAY WITH US, AND NOW, THE TIME CAME TO MOVE INTO OUR NEW LITTLE HOUSE! THAT IS A STORY UNTO ITSELF, AND I WILL TELL YOU MORE TOMORROW- LOVE, NANASEE